Katy Trail Forum

Planning to bike the Katy in late October starting in Raytown, ideally we'd like to bike 50 miles the first day, that should put us around Chilhowee. Are there any places to stay the night (not camping) in that area? Airbnb? BnB? Hotel?

Not according to the Towns and Services link above, you’ll need to push on to Windsor if camping is not your thing. Also something to watch for is that some trail heads start shutting down in November for the winter.

Is the Kickstand open in Augusta? Just checked the website and says will open in spring 2023...

Right now, they're only open on Saturday and Sunday.

If you want to know the hours or services offered by a business on the trail, the best way to do it is to contact them by phone, or on their Facebook page. Very few of them ever come here.

It's me again! White House Cafe in Augusta question about hours. This website has different open hours than the cafe's website. Has anyone been there recently? thank you!

Is this open during the week or only on the weekends? thanks

KT Caboose

Restaurant, Camping
Marthasville MO
Mile marker 77.7
600 Depot St
636-283-0620
https://bikekatytrail.com/kt-caboose-marthasville.aspx


KT Caboose is located on the Katy Trail, in Marthasville MO

Open April through October

Friday- Sunday: 10a-7p

So, am I seeing the correct hours of the claysville store as ONLY open on Sat/Sun? Thank you

Are you available for shuttle on August 28 for 4 people?

You’ll need to contact them directly. The chance of them seeing your question here is slim. ??

We absolutely love biking on the Katy Trail, and we were beyond excited that Deon’s was back up and running. This little bar and grill is a highlight for us - ice cold beers after a long ride and great food, too! They are located right across the street from the Pilot Grove trail head. It is clean, the atmosphere is great and the service is wonderful.

The only time that Deon's is closed is Sunday Monday Tuesday, but open the rest of the week. Still good food and beer.

I'm doing the Katy Trail the beginning of June and wondered if the flooding "up-river" has started doing any damage to the trail. Seems like spring flooding with potential trail damage is a fairly annual thing .

Thanks for any info.

To my knowledge there is currently no flooding "up-river" that has potential to impact the Katy Trail.

There has been flooding up stream of Missouri on the Mississippi river in Iowa, but that does not impact the Katy.

Here's a great resource - the National Weather Service's river level prediction website:

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lsx&view=1,1,1,1,1,1

There's a lot of data and it looks a little overwhelming, but the key point is that all the observations along the Missouri River show up as green (good!). And the surrounding areas (which feed into the Missouri) are also green.

As the post above indicates, the only non-green observations are along the Mississippi River, upstream from the confluence, so no worries for the Katy Trail.

Of course a series of several heavy rains can change things, so I'd check back in from time to time. But trail flooding is not necessarily an annual thing - there are good years and bad years, and this year is good so far.

And now I'm gonna have Johnny Cash singing in my head all day :-)

Well, Ray, you are the Man in Black -- fighting for us common-folk Katy Trail riders! As always, thanks for all you do.

Thanks all. Appreciate the info.
I'm looking forward to another
awesome ride on the Katy.

Hi
Finishing Katy starting from KCMO.
Need an easy day tomorrow.
Keep getting voicemail. anything indoors or out available 8 May?
Thanks...

Is Katerina's Homestyle Cafe still open? Hours? Thank you!

They have a web page you can look up to find the information you seek plus much more.

Not really a web page, per se, but they definitely have a Facebook page (okay, it's on the web...) and judging by the posts they are open and serving up lots of goodies.

https://www.facebook.com/katscafepg/

Like every business on the trail, use the phone number or the Facebook page to confirm they plan to be open on the day you need them.

I am planning a trip from KS City all the way over to Richmond< IN and would like to know how I can get as close to KS City as possible to Rock Island Trail head! Any help with this is most appreciated.

south parking lot arrowhead statium raytown just a few miles south from there

I’m not 100% sure what you’re asking, but I probably have your answer if you can ask in a different way?.. Since you are riding all the way to Indiana, you probably are not afraid of street riding…but may need tips on which ones are to be avoided of course. Parking at Arrowhead Stadium (where the KC section of the Rock Island begins) is available, but we don’t know if you plan to drop a car off….which COULD be a problem if a game/event happens…..I don’t know if a car was already parked and an event comes along if that would be an issue….they DO restrict the lot to trail users during events. I rode from Westwood KS to Alton, Illinois and then down to St Louis in 2021. I also suggest Facebook group Fans of the Katy Trail and Facebook group “ the Rock Island trail (Kansas City to Pleasant Hill) for a great deal more information and feedback. This is an excellent webpage you’re on but feedback is limited. Also look at the links to various trails around the USA with links at bottom of these pages.

The Facebook page produces this result:

Private
Only members can see who's in the group and what they post.
Visible
Anyone can find this group.

Why not have the FB page available to everyone?

For me it generates no results.

Just request membership to the group. It's not exclusive. It's pretty active so you shouldn't take more than a day or so to get access. Probably quicker and more input than asking here.

Exclusive to those who are FB users and perpetuate the data mine.

I'm good.

The KT Caboose is one of my favorite eating options on the whole Katy Trail. I finished a 200 mile ride a few days ago, and stopped at the KT Caboose for the falafel hummus wrap - it was so good! The owner Johnny remembered me from last year - what a memory! And the owner is a long-distance bicyclist himself, so he is a fount of knowledge. Be sure to stop and eat here while you are on the trail!

This shop is located at 530 E 5th st, right by the depot. It is not on Ohio anymore. Great service. Friendly.

Got this from the MoBikeFed

I am very sorry to say that funding for the Rock Island Trail is under attack AGAIN in Jefferson City this legislative session. This time it is a $2.9 million federal grant that will literally be lost and turned back unless the Missouri legislature approves it in the next week. All the details and how you can help, below or at this link.

https://mobikefed.org/2023/04/alert-rock-island-trail-funding-eliminated-missouri-senate-federal-funding-will-be-lost-if

After the play ground there was a tree obstructing the trail, covering the path. Be safe Bikers.

Does anyone have any information on The Hoffmann Hostel on the Katy Trail in Augusta? When will it be open? It is next to the Kickstand at the Augusta Trailhead and work has started.

Previously, when I've been to Machens, I've been able to exit the trail to the east and ride beside the railroad about a block to the left to reach Machens Rd. (which connects to Hwy 94).

Today when I went to do this, somebody had left a pile of rocks blocking access to the trail from that direction. It didn't seem like something that would be done "officially" -- it's not the same rocks used along the trail and it was just outside the gate. It seemed strange. There were no official looking signs saying that the exit from the trail was closed in that direction... Also, there was a rope across Machens Rd at the railroad tracks blocking off access and a sign facing to the north (away from Katy Trail) saying "posted, no trespassing" or something like that. I thought that was all public, even though it's a dead-end road. It seems strange that there would be a standard looking exit from the trail to the East if that's feeding out onto private land. But somebody seems to think it's their private property and has blocked it off.

I live about 17 miles from Machens. That said, I avoid it and start my rides at Black Walnut. And it's too bad. The only parking is on the north side of the tracks on the road going to Machens. But I've never had problems there. It just doesn't seem accommodating so I go to BW. Sounds like maybe somebody doesn't want bike riders around there.

The end of the trail at Machens is surrounded by private land to my knowledge. Some of the roads directly adjacent to the KT at Machens are private roads. I met the farmer who owns them briefly one day, when my wife picked up after finishing the KT years ago, and he told us not to park there long. It was his land and his road. You can image that he is frustrated with people driving onto his property. I would not park there or stop there. Just go back to Black Walnut.

If you’re going to be staying at the Turner Shelter on Friday, May 5th you can grab supper at the Tebbetts Community Center just across Hwy 94.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/158607764225367/permalink/6199252556827494/

We stayed at Lindenhof for the first time late last fall and didn't consider staying anyplace else for our getaway to Augusta this month. Kathy leaves no stone unturned, is flexible, helpful and accommodating. We ended up arriving earlier than planned and when I called her, she immediately left the park where she was walking her dog to come greet us. We were competing in a race in Augusta our 1st morning and she made breakfast just for the 2 of us late in the morning after we returned. I forgot safety pins for our racer numbers and she produced a handful for us to use super early in the morning. Back to breakfast - the food is amazing! Fresh, healthy, tasty and plenty of it! This is not continental breakfast type food - it is gourmet. And she leaves snacks out and soft drinks if you need a little something during the day. The B&B is immaculate. I'm super picky about a clean place and the bedroom and bathroom are spotless. The sheets including the pillowcases were clean and fresh but also newer so they didn't have that worn out feeling that can be a turnoff for me. The Lindenhof location is outstanding - within walking distance of at least 2 wineries if you're into that and a microbrewery and some restaurants. And of course, the Katy Trail is right down the hill.

Can anyone provide information on the annual trail maintenance for the Trail? Specifically, what are the dates and scope of the maintenance, who is responsible for doing the work, and what kind of maintenance is typically performed on the trail?

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is in charge of the state parks system. They would be your best contact to answer your park maintenance questions.

Is there any lodging in Hartsburg now?

I thought I saw recently that the Globe Hotel opened back up

Globe Hotel Bed and Breakfast
-
Leaia Clervi from Hartsburg, MO on 04/07/2023 12:09 PM
Opening May 23, 2023 by reservation only.
For information send email: globehotelbedandbreakfast@gmail.com
OR text: (573)355-3806

Great news!

Planning on doing the full trail west to east this June, what's the best option for getting from the trailhead at Machens to the Amtrak station? We would prefer not to ride through the city. All the shuttle services I've seen so far appear to only move you from point to point on the trail. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

When we did this, we utilized Bike Stop Cafe's shuttle service. They picked us up in Machens and took us to the Kirkwood Amtrak, which we then took back to Kansas City.

Think about Uber or Lyft as well.

I have a shuttle booked from Bike Cafe in St Charles May 10 T 8am to Clinton. Looking for others to share the expense. If I get two others the cost is $110

I want to ride my hybrid on a KATY Trail through ride. I have 700c rims. I’ve read that 35mm to 40 mm wide tires might be good. Also, can anyone recommend specific tires and/or tread designs? There are so many tires available that I feel a bit overwhelmed with choices.

FWIW, I don't think tread pattern will matter much on the Katy. The trail is pretty hard packed crushed limestone. Softer in recently repaired areas. I have the same size wheel and run 35mm Continental Contact Plus tires. Last spring I rode the trail on a rainy day and they did fine. But I mainly like them for their puncture resistance. I had 7,000 miles on my last set and have yet to have a flat tire. I ran them on the C & O Canal towpath in much much worse conditions than you'll find on the Katy with no trouble. Probably lots of other good choices out there, too.

I suggest Schwalbe Marathon or Marathon Plus tires. They are designed to be flat resistant. A guy name Ryan Van Duzer has an excellent YouTube channel about biking. A few years ago he and his girlfriend both rode across the entire USA on these tires via dirt, gravel and pavement with zero flats. They can still happen, just not as likely. Buy online or in your local bike shop. Feel free to google or YouTube the tires for more information and reviews. They are not the cheapest but not the most expensive either. Here is a link to the website I purchased mine from but only because my local shop said they were on back order at the time.
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/schwalbe-marathon-plus-700c-tire-hs-440

I don't know if I'm hijacking this thread or making a viable suggestion, but I wonder how people feel about solid tires? I commute to work on my recumbent trike and refuse to deal with flats and those solid tires save such worries.

When I did my end-to-end KATY ride in Augusts 2019 on my recumbent 2 wheeler, I did use the marathon plus and I don't recall having a flat on the whole trip. No idea of the width though....

Is overnight RV parking allowed at the fairgrounds?
I am traveling in my RV and would like to do the Katy Trail.

I believe you could call the Clinton Community Center next door and they can help you

We were just at Blufton Barn, and what an amazing host Doug is - after a day of riding what I’d love is there’s a level camp site, shower, some food then bed. Doug (and the dogs, Spot and Frekles) makes you feel welcome right away. There’s plenty of spaces to tent camp or if one wanted, beds up in the barn (which I later got a tour of - and it’s a little contained place in itself with kitchen, bathroom, dining and beds).

I slept quite well, loved the hot shower and the laundry! Also knowing there’s not going to be a grocery nearby for a while I got two breakfast burritos to go.

Doug is also very knowledgeable about the Katy as he is very involved in its development. Looking forward to next time!

I will be biking with a dog so mostly camping along the way. In Tebbets I am aware of of the Turner Katy Trail shelter but not sure if they are do friendly. If someone might know it would be appreciated. And I just learned of camping in Marthasville by the baseball diamonds. Anyone know the cost of camping there?
Thanks for any info!
Jeff

When I camped in Marthasville a few years ago it was $5. The first time I stayed in the Turner Shelter a young couple with a dog stayed there too and no one seemed to mind. It is unattended, so I think its just a question of minding your dog and being considerate of others who may be there.

My dog is very considerate of others and never asks anything of me that might seem rude or out of line to others. I trust his judgement and always mind my dog.

It would seem inconsiderate to expect others to obey him though. So I can see why when you were at the Shelter that with the couples dog there, no one seemed to mind.

Leave your dog at home. Nobody wants to meet your dog (no matter how great of a dog it might be).

I’d like to meet your dog Arkykenny.

Can I bring my cats? Why can't people leave their pets at home. They think the person with the biggest pet means the owner must have the biggest ??? We don't care about bigger, just ride alone. The dog probably won't know you are gone.

Bring your dog or your cat.

Ride your horse if you want.

Bring your kids and your spouse.

Come if you’re young or old.

Ride slow. Ride fast.

Gawk and block the trail.

Enjoy yourself while on the trail. That’s what it’s for.

If someone doesn’t like that you have a dog, cat, kid, etc with you, they need to realize that someone probably doesn’t like what they’re doing either.

I wouldn't mind sharing the lodging in Tebbets with somebody that had a dog, but I think it would kinda pushing it to just expect everybody that might be sleeping there to not mind. I don't have pet allergies, but a lot of people do. It's one big open room, so you'd effectively be preventing anybody with an allergy from being able to stay while you're there (and maybe even after you've left).

As someone mentioned last fall, Muddy Bottom restaurant in Mokane has closed so there are no longer any meal options in Mokane. Happy Trails Katy-ring in Tebbetts gets great reviews. They will provide a home-cooked meal to either the Tebbetts trailhead or the Turner Shelter if you call ahead. They’re listed in the Tebbetts Towns and Services tab above.

Opening May 23, 2023 by reservation only.
For information send email: globehotelbedandbreakfast@gmail.com
OR text: (573)355-3806

Does the camping at Diana Bend Conservation area permit camping trailers or only tent camping?

Looking to shuttle my bike and myself from Kansas City Amtrak station to the Rock Island Trailhead in Pleasant Hill. Any solution or advice welcome.

Sunday morning - June 4th ; 1 biker 1 bike

feel free to text or call at 704-261-6556

https://strava.app.link/QBO6K233Iyb
I rode from Westwood Kansas to downtown St Louis with a trip to Illinois along the way via a ferry ride to Grafton from St Charles area then trails to StL. My goal was to traverse the entire state of Missouri. Anyway, you could ride from Union Station to Pleasant Hill and about half would be Trail. From Union Station ride 3.5 miles south to the Country Club Plaza then take the Brush Creek trail east as far as you can, near Brighton, then streets over to Arrowhead stadium where you begin the Rock Island trail which will take you through Lees Summit. From there the trail is not developed so you’ll be on lightly traveled streets to Pleasant Hill. Click the link above for my route which began on a holiday Monday (similar traffic to a Sunday) so traffic from KC to P Hill was very light. I rode from Westwood to P Hill as my day one ride and it was 36 miles I think. My wife picked me up and I slept at home that night due to no overnight lodging in P Hill (there is a AirBnB but it’s a two night minimum) The rest of my trip was about 70 miles per day.

It's been 30 years since the great flood of 1993 swept through our town. Volunteers from 32 states came to help us rebuild. The park is named in their honor.It's hard to believe that the water was over the windows in the houses in our city. After a long struggle we came back and are very appreciative of all who came. A little Memorial Park is just 1/2 block west of Volunteer Park and it honors people in the town with kids on a jungle jim.

I'm curious as to the location of Volunteer Park. I'm not seeing it on Google Maps. Is it near the caboose? Probably not the American Legion Park with the ballfield. That's a great story.